Emphasizing the deepening collaboration between the United Kingdom and Türkiye in protection and heavy business, the British consul basic in Istanbul on Tuesday highlighted the potential for joint ventures in third international locations, including that nuclear microreactors may very well be a brand new space of cooperation.
Türkiye and the U.Ok. have solid vital collaborations and engaged in mutual investments, notably inside protection and heavy business. The U.Ok. stands as Türkiye’s fourth-largest export vacation spot and holds the place of its seventeenth most vital commerce companion.
Speaking to Sabah paper, the British consul basic and undersecretary of commerce for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Kenan Poleo, evaluated the commerce relations between the 2 international locations following Brexit and the signing of a free commerce settlement (FTA).
Noting that there are severe areas the place the U.Ok. and Türkiye can work collectively to develop first-class protection applied sciences, Poleo stated that the perfect instance of that is the home fight plane “KAAN,” developed between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and BAE Systems.
“Türkiye is an important ally, friend and partner of NATO, and that’s why we invest a lot of energy and determination in bilateral relations,” he stated.
“Companies like CANiK and Nurol are active in the U.K. It’s encouraging to see many examples of positive collaboration, and this is not just for our respective markets,” he added.
“Considering Türkiye’s exceptional innovation and engineering capacity, it’s very possible to pursue collaborations in third countries,” famous Poleo.
“I visited Baykar’s new facilities, and I was very impressed. It’s world-class. There are many facilities and services in Türkiye such as this that are of world standards,” he added.
The U.Ok. is a major provider in numerous product classes, together with automobiles, textiles, electrical mills and metals, with exports totaling 16 billion kilos ($20.3 billion). The variety of British firms exporting to Türkiye has surpassed 7,500. In 2021, overseas direct funding (FDI) from the U.Ok. to Türkiye amounted to eight.9 billion kilos.
Highlighting the substantial commerce quantity between the 2 nations, Poleo voiced a must strengthen the cooperation additional.
“We need to bring together two great trading nations, two great innovative nations and the engineering talent. We are in a time when defense capabilities are more needed than ever,” he defined.
Furthermore, he harassed the necessity to elevate the commerce quantity between the 2, which he stated stands at 26 billion kilos.
“We need more because of the number of businesses; thousands of businesses from the U.K. operate in Türkiye and vice versa. There is much more that we can do together,” he famous.
“If we truly have a modern trade relationship, this can be an example to the rest of the world.”
Recalling that many FTAs primarily give attention to items and their entry, Poleo conveyed the idea that areas akin to knowledge, companies and digital applied sciences also needs to be included within the scope of the settlement.
Regarding Türkiye’s objectives for power range and the U.Ok.’s place as one of the technologically superior international locations in small modular reactors (SMRs), often known as small nuclear energy crops, Poleo touched upon potential cooperation on this space.
He talked about that discussions on the presidential stage have laid the groundwork for some high-level discussions. “SMRs are a technology that can bring about transformation. We haven’t set up the facilities yet, but they are based on proven technology. Therefore, this is a subject we hope to work closely with Türkiye on,” he stated.
“Given that Türkiye is an exceptional production hub, you can see a world where SMRs produced in Türkiye can be sold to the region or the world,” Poleo outlined.
“This is also an idea of how the U.K. and Türkiye can work together. We are having serious discussions with the Turkish government about SMRs. While transitioning to a low-carbon economy, it is also important for Türkiye to ensure energy flexibility and self-sufficiency. It is also critical for energy supply security,” he concluded.
Source: www.dailysabah.com